June
12th, 2009
ANDY JANKOWIAKI EARNS FIRST WEEKLY WIN OF
THE YEAR
WILLIAMSON, NY…Andy Jankowiak, from Tonawanda, NY,
earned his first NASCAR Weekly Modified feature win of the
2009 season at Spencer Speedway. Jankowiak picked up the
lead on the second lap and never looked back. It was
double point night for the Weekly Modifieds. Jankowiak’s
win move him into third in points behind Buck and Amy
Catalano.
“This thing was really hooked up tonight,” stated
Jankowiak in victory lane. “We worked hard all winter to
get this car together. First I have to help the help guy
after our truck broke down on the way here tonight.
In Street Stock action it was Jim Steffenhagen Jr. earning
his fourth straight Street Stock victory, celebrating his
birthday with this one. In Auto Value Scorpion four
cylinder action it was Bill VerWys taking his first
feature win in the 15-lap feature run. VerWys broke a
three week victory string by Eddie Hawkins, who finished a
close second to VerWys. The Super Six 20-lap feature was
won by Keith Butler Jr., who won last week, making it two
in a row.
The start of the NASCAR Weekly Modified saw the yellow fly
just as the leaders were coming down the front chute. Tony
Hanbury made slight contact with the outside wall and was
sent spinning across the track, with the pack of cars
scattering, to the infield grass. He gathered it up and
finally came to a stop in the second turn, but his car was
too damaged to continue.
A second try at a restart saw a multi-car melee take place
in the fourth turn. This one was triggered when ninth
place Amy Catalano spun to the inside of the track.
The third time was the charm. Andy Jankowiak took command
of the lead with Daryl Lewis Jr. tight on his rear bumper.
These two were able to pull away from the rest of the
field. Behind them a three way battle was being staged for
third between Andy Lewis, Chris Finocchario and Ricky
Kluth. As the cars entered the third turn, Andy Lewis
sailed off the turn without seeming to turn. This brought
out the yellow for the third time in the race. Finocchario
was then sent to the rear for contact with Lewis. With the
green out again the running order was now Jankowiak, Lewis
Jr., Kevin Timmerman, Kluth and Buck Catalano. On lap 13
the yellow flew following contact between Lewis Jr and
Timmerman resulting in Timmerman looping exiting the
fourth turn.. Both cars restarted at the rear of the
field. The yellow would fly twice more, lap 19 and 21. On
lap 19, a six car melee took place in the first turn
resulting in a number of cars in tenth back spinning off
the track in the first turn. The lap 21 caution flew when
Kreig Heroth spun off the track in the third turn.
All the time it was Jankowiak in the lead and pulling away
to a twelve car advantage over Ricky Kluth, Catalano and
Bill Hebing in a freight-train run for second. On final
lap Catalano ducked low, opening the door on Kluth, as
they exited the second turn. Catalano was able to sneak by
for second Kluth out dragged Hebing to keep third by
inches. Hebing and Amy Catalano rounded out the top five
finishers. Jankowiak picked up an extra $100 in memory of
race fan and Lime Rock midget competitor Red Barkley, who
recently passed away.
The 20-lap Street Stock race saw pole sitter Kris
Hillegeer take the lead at the drop of the green. His lead
was limited as Jim Steffenhagen Jr. ducked low on the back
stretch on the second lap and sailed into the lead.
Steffenhagen was not able to break completely free as
Hillegeer and Phil Alhart Jr. remained glued to
Steffenhagen’s rear bumper.
At lap 12, Alhart made an inside move on Hillegeer for
second as they entered the third turn. Two laps later the
sole yellow flag flew when rookie Brian Hermanski looped
the Steve Malin owned number 94 in the fourth turn.
The rest of the race was run green, with Steffenhagen
taking the checkers in his crate motored Monte Carlo
followed by Alhart Jr., Hillegeer, Mitchell Wright and
Hermanski. “I’m not getting sick of seeing you,”
stated Steffenhagen to the victory lane announcer. “The
crate is the way to go. For about $4,500 we can go racing
competitively. Just look at this car. It’s immaculate.”
For the first time this year the Auto Value Scorpions saw
their feature interrupted by yellow flags. The battle for
the lead saw Bro Bradshaw lead the first four laps before
Mike Bradshaw passed to the inside in turn three. Two laps
later it would be Bill VerWys ducking low on the back
stretch and taking the front position. VerWys started to
pull away when the yellow flew on lap 11 for Alison
Knoepfler, who was running fifth, when she spun in the
fourth turn. The next lap also saw yellow, when third
place Mike Bradshaw spun exiting the fourth turn. VerWys
took the feature win, with multi-time feature winner Eddie
Hawkins closing to within a few feet at the finish line.
Bro Bradshaw finished a distant third, followed by Ryan
Brown and Russell Peets. “Man I would like to…..I mean
I had an awful push the last few weeks” stated VerWys.
He added “This is a fun track to drive. My wife had knee
surgery this week. She really wanted to be here tonight.”
The Super Sixes saw a “Family Feud” when Craig Butler,
who had led from lap one, lost the lead to his nephew
Keith Butler Jr. on lap15 of twenty. Butler Jr. then built
up a seven car advantage over Craig at the finish. Craig
held off the challenges of Skip Powers to remain second.
Ryan Hillegeer and Patti Davenport rounded out the top
five.
“Quite a fun race right there,” commented Keith Jr. in
reference to the race with his uncle.
This coming Friday will feature a regular Four Star
program, plus a 75-lap RoC Tour Type Modified special.
This will be the first of two Race of Champion appearances
in 2009. They will return again in mid-August to run a
100-lapper. Friday will also feature the first appearance
of the year by the NORA Supermodifieds. Race time is at
7:30 p.m. sharp.
Spencer Speedway is located just fifteen minutes east of
Rochester, NY, along Route 104 in the Town of Williamson.
Spencer Speedway is the local “NASCAR Place to Race”
for upstate New York. Points earned each week at Spencer
are counted into the national NASCAR Whelen All-American
Series championship.
WHELEN
ALL-AMERICAN NIGHT SUMMARY
AUTO VALUE SCORPIONS
HEAT 1: B. VerWys, B. Bradshaw, M. Bradshaw, A. Knoepfler.
HEAT 2: K. Bertolone, E. Hawkins, R. Brown, O. Bradshaw.
FEATURE (15-laps): BILL VERWYS, Eddie Hawkins, Bro
Bradshaw, Ryan Brown, Russell Peets, Dale Lazzaro, Otis
Bradshaw, Chris Priest, Beth Dennie, Alison Knoepfler,
Mike Bradshaw, Kevin Bertolone, Bill Malin.
SUPER
SIXES
HEAT 1: J. Bailey, S. Powers, R. Hillegeer, P. Cowell.
HEAT 2: P. Davenport, K. Butler Jr., C. Butler, K. Butler
Sr.
FEATURE (20-laps): KEITH BUTLER JR., Craig Butler, Skip
Powers, Ryan Hillegeer, Patti Davenport, Keith Butler Sr.,
Joe Bailey, Peter Cowell, Tim Faro, Denny Coyle, John
Sippel, Van Grant, Rick Wilson.
STREET
STOCKS
HEAT: K. Hillegeer, J. Steffenhagen Jr., P. Alhart Jr., M.
Wright.
FEATURE (20-laps): JIM STEFFENHAGEN JR., Phil Alhart Jr.,
Kris Hillegeer, Mitchell Wright, Brian Hermanski, Billy
Semmler.
NASCAR
WEEKLY MODIFIEDS
HEAT 1: R. Kluth, C. Finocchario, R. Beeman, A. Lewis, E.
Stritzel.
HEAT 2: A. Jankowiak, B. Catalano, B. Hebing, D. Lewis
Jr., D. Lewis Sr.
HEAT 3: T. Hanbury, K. Timmerman, A. Catalano, T.
Bradshaw, F. Taylor.
FEATURE (35-laps): ANDY JANKOWIAK, Buck Catalano, Ricky
Kluth, Bill Hebing, Amy Catalano, Kevin Timmerman, Chris
Finocchario, Daryl Lewis Jr., Andy Lewis, Daryl Lewis Sr.,
Ryan Beeman, Erich Stritzel, Fred Taylor, Matt Lees, Dan
Scott, Kreig Heroth, Mark Cline, Ron Wildey II, Toad
Bradshaw, Tony Hanbury, Scott Combs (DNS).
